Invisible shoe-fastener.



K. T. TANAKA.

INVISIBLE SHOE FASIENER. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21. 1915.

1,219,052. Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

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KAY. 'I'. TANAKA,

or SALT LAKE CITY, :U'I'AH.

INVISIBLE SHOE-FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

Application filed March 27, 1915. Serial No. 17,481.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, KAY. T. TANAKA, a subject of the Emperor of Japan, residing at Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt Lake and State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in invisible Shoe-Fasteners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to shoe fasteners, and one of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a shoe fastener which can be attached to the shoe in a manner to render it invisible when the fastener is engaged to hold the shoe upon the foot, and which will be simple in construction and easy to attach and detach. I

The foregoing and other objects may be attained by means of the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of a shoe provided with an invisible shoe fastener made in accordance with this invention,

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective View of one of the fastener tongues,

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 4- l of Fig. l, and

Fig. 5 is a sectional View taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the upper of a shoe, and 2 is the instep flap of said shoe. Connected to the upper 1 at suitable points are the eye members 3 of the fastener, said eye members each comprising a staple passed through a washer 4 upon, the outer side of the material, through the material of the upper 1, and through a spaced washer .5 upon the inner side of the upper, the ends of said staples being bent over, as shown at 6 in Fig. 2. The eye members 3 project but slightly above the surface of the material 1, and are adapted to receive the metal. tongues 7 secured between the folded edge 8 of the flap 2 and the body portion of the flap, shown in Figs. 4 and 5, by means of stitches passing through the stitch holes 9.

To fasten the shoe upon the foot, the tongues 7 are pulled over and inserted in the eye members 3 from the lower portion of the shoe upward toward the ankle, and when it is desired to remove the shoe from the foot by merely taking hold of the flap 2, the tongues may be readily pulled out of the eyes by a steady outward pull on the flap 2.

arious changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claim.

What is claimed is r- A fastener of the class described including a plurality of U-shaped staples adapted to have their legs extended through material and bent back upon itself for securing the same therein, and arranging their web portions in vertical alinement at a spaced distance from the surface of the material, a plurality of fastening tongues each formed of a single piece of flat tapered metal having spaced or enlarged portions secured to and between the folds of the material and positioning their smaller ends in direct alinement with the webs of each of the staples so that the same may be readily and quickly inserted under the staple and fastened as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

KAY. T. TANAKA.

lVitnesses:

WM. M. KNEER, E'rnnr. MACDONALD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

